Pilgrimage to Israel Day 2

Six weeks ago as I was researching how to spend our pilgrimage in Israel, I stumbled upon a tour company offering trips to Petra. Intrigued, I studied this amazing place a little more and we then decided to rearrange our entire trip to make this journey.  Not many pilgrims to Israel include Petra since it is not a religious site. But we certainly had a religious experience while we were there.

Staying on the Red Sea, we realized what a feat it was for the Israelites to cross this vast body of water. The Red Sea has four countries that border it: Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Although coming from the Egyptian side of the sea, they crossed into Jordan just like we are doing today. After showing our passports 4 different times and security checks we finally walked into the Kingdom of Jordan.  A two hour drive awaited us. During those two hours we learned about how this was the same terrain that the Israelites walked through in order to get to Mount Nebo, how Aaron (Moses' brother) died and was buried on a mountain that we passed, and how this was the land of the Edomites about 3000 years ago (descendants of Esau). So there ia much Old Testament history in the land of Jordan.

But nothing could have prepared us for Petra. No pictures do it justice. No description could be accurate. Many archeologists have named it the Eighth Wonder of the World and for good reason. The Nabatean people lived here hundreds of years and carved an entire city out of the sandstone. Since the trade route via camel caravans passed through their land, they became wealthy traders and mingled with all different cultures. Since there were natural water springs on top of the sandstone and a valley in between, it was a perfect place to create the capital of the Nabatean people. Unfortunately an earthquake destroyed the water system they had created in the 700's and it was abandoned and forgotten. It was rediscovered again in the 1800's and is now the largest tourist destination in Jordan.

Petra is hidden from view until you get to the narrow slit in the rock which provides the entrance. That's one reason it's called the Hidden City, but also has nicknames of the Pink City or the Rose City due to the color of the sandstone. Petra in Greek means "rock" which is what the city is made out of. You walk along the bottom of this narrow gorge for about 1000 meters. Visitors would have been intimidated. Enemies would not have ventured in. Then it finally opens up into a valley that has the most beautiful ornate carvings. These carvings adorn the tombs of wealthy people buried here as well as represent the many gods people honored with their offerings. Houses were carved in the sandstone and it became a naturally protected, abundant with water, beautiful capital.

God was reflected in the natural beauty of the sandstone, the trees growing out of crevices, the amazing colors that surrounded us. God was also reflected in a people who lived 2000 years ago. People who imagined a city made of stone. People who engineered and calculated how to make that dream a reality. People who created elaborate water systems, flood canals, astrological calendars, clocks, and gorgeous architecture. But maybe most importantly, a people who welcomed the diversity of other cultures. Their architecture reflects the Greeks, the Romans, the Mesopotamians, along with their own unique style. Instead of fearing those who were different, they embraced them, learned from them, and incorporated the best of other cultures into their own.

As the blessed rain falls on the drought stricken land of Jordan just after we get back on the bus for the two hour drive back, I am left with wonder of a land that was walked on by Moses, a city that took my breath away, and a people who embraced diversity and left behind their legacy for others to learn from. May God grant us an open spirit, a listening ear, and a willing heart.

Pilgrimage to Israel - Day 1

Today is another day of travel. We arrived in Tel Aviv airport at 9:30 am although our bodies are telling us it is 2:30 am. Our next flight to the southern city of Eilat isn't until 5:00 so we spend the day at the airport, taking a nap, eating an avocado and egg sandwich for lunch, and walking around to keep the blood circulating.  We arrive at our terminal at 3:30, plenty of time ahead...or so we thought.

Somehow I was flagged for the first degree security treatment.  Perhaps because I had quite a few electronics in my bag or I fit the profile of someone who could smuggle a bomb on board. First we were questioned, then our bags were scanned. Next I had to take absolutely everything from my carry on bag out and set it on the examination table. Every single thing was scanned for explosives. They examined my ipad and made me open it and use it. They did a body scan on me as well as check my shoes and pants for traces of explosives. It was about an hour process.

THEN, we were personally escorted to check in and get our tickets.  I thought she was just making sure we made the flight since it was already 4:30 but when we wanted to go to the bathroom, she said no. We had to go straight to the gate.  If we went to the bathroom we'd have to go through security all over again. So, no bathroom for us. We went through a second screening and body scan before we got on the gate. Trying to be gracious, I told the female security agent thank your for keeping us safe. She didn't smile.

As we were reflecting on this process eating pita bread and hummus on the beach of the Red Sea in Eilat (yes, the same Red Sea that Moses and the Israelites crossed), I realized the extent to which the people in Israel go to feel safe. And I thought the US airport security was tight! I am grateful that I live in a place where there are no checkpoints, no immediate fear of bombs on planes or buses or random violence (although I do realize there are places in the US where that does exist).

Not everything went according to plan today. We wasted one hour waiting for a bus at 11:00 that we later found out wasn't going to arrive until 3:00, we got the VIP treatment at the security checkpoint, we couldn't find our Eilat hotel which was supposed to be "just turn left and it's 100 meters down the street." But then again, when does anything go according to plan. We are surprised when it doesn't but life experience should teach us to be surprised when it does

Tonight I am grateful for a safe place to sleep, the sound of the Red Sea out the window, and a day of unexpected events over with. Tomorrow we start early at 6:30 to cross over into the Kingdom of Jordan.  May God grant us an open spirit, a listening ear, and a willing heart.

"I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane..."

As I woke up this morning, my heart prayed this prayer. "Lord, grant me an open spirit, a listening ear, and a willing heart." A good prayer for any day, but maybe especially on a day I begin a pilgrimage to Israel.

Today is a travelling day.  The first plane left at 7:11am and arrives in Newark around 9:00. My travel companion and good friend Rose arrives at 1:30.  Our flight to Tel Aviv leaves at 5:00pm and arrives at 10:00am. Problem is that it's a 7 hour time difference so our bodies will be telling us that we are landing at 3:00am. Tomorrow will be a long day.

So since nothing exciting will be happening today (I hope!) I thought I'd share a rough outline of our itinerary.  Since it's just the two of us going, we were able to create our own itinerary based on our interests and passions. After much planning and researching we came up with this plan. We hired a private tour guide Meir More (highly recommended on trip advisor) who helped us put these ideas into action. With more explanation in the coming days, here is what we hope to see while we are here.

March 1 - Arrive in Tel Aviv airport at 10:00. Catch a 5:00pm flight to Eilat on the southern tip of Israel on the Red Sea.

March 2 - Take a guided tour to Jordan and the city of Petra, one of the great wonders of the world.

March 3 - Catch a bus to the Dead Sea and meet our tour guide. Travel to Massada, float in Dead Sea, see Ein Gedi nature reserve, the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and Qasar el Yahud where Jesus was baptized. We might even be able to squeeze in a camel ride.

March 4 - Day 1 in Jerusalem. There's just too much to make a complete list.  In two days we plan to go to the Wailing wall, Holocaust museum, see Dead Sea Scrolls, go to Temple Mount, Via Dolorosa, gates of the city, garden tomb, upper room, golgotha, mount of olives, garden of gethsemane, King David's tomb, the underground tunnels of the wailing wall, pool of Bethseda, 

March 5 - Day 2 in Jerusalem.  See the places above

March 6 - Travel around Jerusalem to Mount of Olives, Bethpage, Bin Karem where John the Baptist was born, Bethlehem, Emmaus.

March 7 - Go to Beit Shean and archeological finds, Mt. Tabor where the transfiguration happened, and Nazareth where Jesus grew up.

March 8 - Start walking the Jesus Trail, a 60 km marked trail, that will take us 3 days.  Today is 14 miles and takes us through Cana where Jesus turned water into wine.

March 9 - Today we walk 12.5 miles through Arbel Nature Park and the caves.

March 10 - Today we finish the Jesus trail walking about 13  going through Migdal (also known as Magdala where Mary was from), Taghba where Jesus fed 5,000 people with a few loaves and fish, and onto the Sea of Galilee and Capernaum.

March 11 - We explore the Sea of Galilee region - the Mount of the Beatitudes, take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, eat some of Peter's fish (also known as Tilapia), and explore Tiberius.

March 12 - We now travel north of the Sea of Galilee to see the area where Jesus drove out many demons from one man into a herd of pigs who through themselves from the cliff, and onto some of the natural parks, and Ceasarea Philippi, Mt. Bental, and Mt. Hermon.

March 13- Meeting our tourguide once again, we travel to the west coast of the country on the way back to Tel Aviv. We will see Megiddo from Revelation, Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged Baal, Ceasarea, Joppa (where Peter stayed with the tanner and had a vision of unclean animals on a sheet).

March 14 - catch a 10:00am flight back to Newark and the United States. Arrive safely home at 10:00pm.

May God grant us an open spirit, a listening ear, and a willing heart.

Ready or Not...

No one is ever ready to be transformed.  Even when a caterpillar goes into a cocoon, it never knows exactly what will happen or how the transformation will end.  As I prepare to enter into a time of transformation through a pilgrimage to Israel, it's hard to know what to expect. Will this once-in-a-lifetime trip live up to my high expectations? Will I really be transformed? If so, what will the process be like? Who will I be afterward?

My last pilgrimage was on the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain for 6 weeks in 2006.  I hiked with my father the 500 mile trail to arrive 38 days later in Santiago.  And yes, I was transformed. I am still living out the implications of that pilgrimage: the importance of being aware of God's presence every day, the humility to start one's day being open to whatever it holds (even if it wasn't according to the plan), the gift of slowing down and living a more relaxed pace, the opportunity to get to know strangers who quickly become friends, and the surrendering of my will to God's will. I am still affected by that pilgrimage and continue to live out those lessons.

Will this trip be a similar transformative experience or am I asking too much? Only time will tell as I prepare to leave the country in 72 hours. In the meantime, I ask for your prayers: for safety, for clarity in hearing God’s voice, for openness to new experiences, for growth in my spiritual life, and for Nelio and the kids who are making it possible for me to go. Prayers for Mulberry Presbyterian Church: the staff who are filling in the gaps, the two guests preachers and guest celebrant for communion, the congregation.

I am grateful that this time I can share my pilgrimage on a day to day basis with those I love and care for. In addition to my personal journaling, I will post as often as possible the experiences I am having overseas.  So in many ways, I am not just going for myself, but I am taking this pilgrimage for all those who want to join me.  Thank you so much for your love, your prayers, and your support.  God bless.

Preparing for Pilgrimage...and Lent

I'm big on preparation.  It probably has something to do with my type A personality.  When it comes to taking a trip, I'm even more fanatical about being prepared.  I want to make sure all the logistics are taken care of well beforehand: flights, hotels, transportation, and itinerary.  I spend hours upon hours researching each detail to ensure the trip goes as smoothly as possible.

So when the dream of going on a pilgrimage to Israel became a reality, I dove right in to the logistics.  Hours upon hours later I had chosen the perfect hotels, birthed an exciting itinerary, discovered a wonderful tour guide, and booked the best transportation.  Next was the packing list and anything that needed to be bought for the trip.  Then there was work that needed to be covered: guest preachers, liturgists, Ash Wednesday service, excused absences from meetings, etc.  But that wasn't all.  I was missing a big part of my preparation. Perhaps the most important part of all: my spiritual preparation.

Preparing spiritually for a life transforming event is essential.  Without adequate preparation opportunities to grow deeper will be missed, whispers from the Holy One will be drowned out, and personal change will only be superficial.  Perhaps that is why the seasons of Lent and Advent were introduced into the Christian calendar.

You see, it's easy to neglect the spiritual preparation for a journey.  Lent is a spiritual journey toward the cross, and ultimately the empty tomb.  Yet for many, Easter preparation centers around Easter clothes, Easter lilies, Easter dinner, and Easter egg hunts, instead of an inward invitation to go deeper into the spiritual life.  We need Lent in order to experience Easter in all its fullness.  We need that time to prepare and do the spiritual work required of us.

Spiritual preparation includes prayer, scripture reading, personal reflection and awareness, discernment, holy listening, journaling, and holy reading.  That's true for a trip to Israel or Lent.  So now that much of the logistics and physical preparations have been completed, it's time to turn to the spiritual.  Time to engage in spiritual preparation for the pilgrimage ahead...the pilgrimage to Israel and the pilgrimage of Lent.

How are you preparing yourself spiritually for Lent?

Will You Go On a Pilgrimage With Me?

           With an upcoming pilgrimage to Israel, there is no better time or reason to resurrect this blog.  I took a pilgrimage once back in 2006 to the Camino de Santiago.  It was a life changing experience.  Now as I anticipate a pilgrimage to Israel on Feburary 28-March 14, 2014, I recall the meaning of pilgrimage once again in my life.  I invite you to join me on this pilgrimage as I share my thoughts and experiences with you.

            First, a little background on pilgrimage.  Pilgrimage is one of the most ancient practices of humankind.  It is associated with a great variety of religions and spiritual traditions.  While it can be traced back many centuries to the cultures of Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, the pilgrim instinct itself lies deep within the human heart.  The earliest pilgrimage, recorded 4,000 years ago, is Genesis 12 when God tells Abraham to leave his country to a new land.  It is no surprise then that the three great monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, have historically discovered meaning in pilgrimage.  The Jewish people make pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the holy city.  The Muslims, who list pilgrimage as one of the five pillars of faith, travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.  Also, the Hindu religion uplifts the importance of pilgrimage to seven holy rivers, such as the Ganges River in India.  Buddhists undertake pilgrimages to the four holy places associated with Buddha in Nepal.

Christianity has a long history with pilgrimage.  As mentioned, the first pilgrim ever recorded was in Genesis 12.  The first Christian pilgrims arrived at Jesus’ birth site, Bethlehem.  These magi traveled great distances, no doubt in great danger, to lay their gifts at Jesus’ feet and worship him.  It wasn’t until Constantine came to power in the 300s that the idea of pilgrimage was established among Jesus’ followers.  Now that Christianity had become an acceptable religion under Constantine, his mother Helena traveled to the Holy Land to look for Jesus’ birth place.  When she found it (and we don’t know what kind of “proof” she had) she had a church built on top of it, the Church of the Nativity.  The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was also built on the site of Jesus’ tomb.  Since then, Christians have been making pilgrimages back to Jerusalem to see the holy sites associated with Jesus’ life and death and resurrection.  After the destruction of Jerusalem when travel became much harder and more dangerous, Rome became a popular pilgrimage destination.  With the deaths of Peter and Paul in that area along with the central power of the church, it quickly rose to the second most popular site.  In the ninth century, the Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain came into existence and rose to its height in the middle ages.  Because of some abuses and the idea of “earning” forgiveness, the Reformers railed against the idea of pilgrimage which then lost its popularity and has only just begun to see an increase in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Why did people go on pilgrimage?  Many were forced to by the justice system, especially in the Middle Ages.  It was their punishment to make a pilgrimage and come back with proof that it had been completed.  Others did it as a form of penance, to make up for their sins to God and ask forgiveness.  Still others as a form of love and devotion toward God.  In the early years, to go on pilgrimage meant that one might not return.  They created wills and “set their things in order” before they left.  But why do people go on pilgrimage now?  Here are some quotes that might give us an idea.  “The object of pilgrimage is not rest and recreation–to get away from it all.  To set out on a pilgrimage is to throw down a challenge to everyday life.”  (Phil Cousineau in The Art of Pilgrimage)  “Pilgrimage-a transformative journey to a sacred center.”  (Phil Cousineau)  A Buddhist monk explained, “The point of the pilgrimage is to improve yourself by enduring and overcoming difficulties.”  Theologian Richard Neibuhr said, “Pilgrims are person in motion–passing through territories not their own–seeking something we might call completion.”

Nowadays, pilgrimage is a way of reflection, meditation, discernment, and listening to God.  It is a unique challenge to body, mind, and soul that can be found nowhere else in the spiritual life.  Pilgrimage is a journey of the soul, into the depths of one’s being and God’s heart.  Pilgrimage has a great history with so many religions.  Perhaps the Protestant Churches can also claim this rich tradition and incorporate this powerful spiritual practice as a way of growing in the Christian faith.  Join me on pilgrimage to Israel and let us grow in our faith together.

A Growing Church is a Dying Church!

I confess that I don't have a lot of time to "surf the web."  I'm not subscribed to any blogs.  I don't spend much time on facebook.  It is rare that I even go to a link that has been recommended by friends.  So I attribute the Holy Spirit to the crazy notion of actually skimming through facebook and then taking the time to click on a link from a pastor friend with the title "A Growing Church is a Dying Church."  I skimmed through the blog and about 15 seconds into it, I stopped and slowly read it from the top again.  Tears filled my eyes.  How did he know?  Who was this stranger from New York that is speaking directly to the situation I find myself in.  I have been enamored ever since with a blog entry from J. Barrett Lee, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Boonville, NY.  Click here to read full text. 

He speaks the truth.  The naked, ugly, hope filled, biblical truth.  The message doesn't dwell on the idea, "the pastor can't grow or save your church" though that idea is there.  His thoughts don't just tell you to be missional and think outward, though you can find this notion in the blog.  But he gets to the heart of "What if it works?" warning that growth will not be what you think it will be.  The church will never return to the "glory days."  And the glory days of the future involve people you wouldn't be caught dead with and who don't appreciate "the way we've always done it" and who will make changes you don't like.  And that's the GOOD NEWS! 

Then, what if it doesn't work?  What if you make changes to get the church to grow and it dies anyway?  Was it all a waste of time?  Here's how he ends his blog, "What if all that time you spend studying the Bible, expanding your horizons, deepening your spiritual life, and serving your community turns out to be time wasted?  Tell you what: if that’s what happens, if you commit yourself to all this and still feel like it was a waste of time in the end, then maybe your church really needed to die."  Wow!

I have read and re-read this blog about 10 times in the last 3 days.  Does it give me hope or plunge me into cynicism?  Yes, on the one hand, church transformation is a lose-lose situation.  It's hard and it hurts to change and grow with people who are different.  On the other hand, it's also hard to watch a once vibrant church slowly waste away to death.  And I ask myself, "Why am I doing this?"

But in the end, God always brings me back to hope.  How can prayer, scripture, sharing the love of God, social justice and service, ever be a waste of time?  Are we not more faithful disciples because of these actions, whatever happens to the church institution?  We are actually in a win-win situation.  Whatever happens to the church itself, whether it grows or dies, we as Christ's disciples are more closely following the life he intended us to live.  And isn't that the purpose of the church...to equip people to live their Christian journey more faithfully?

Thank you J. Barrett Lee for your inspiring, hopeful, and honest words.  I am encouraged to continue equipping God's people, whatever the financial, numerical, or institutional repercussions might be.